Mike AllenCo-founder and Executive Editor of Axios, Former POLITICO Chief White House Correspondent

Mike Allen is one of Washington’s most influential and well-connected journalists. He is the co-founder and executive editor of Axios, a new media company delivering news and insights on politics, business, media, and tech.

In addition to starting Axios, Allen was a co-founder at POLITICO, the digital media company that upended and revolutionized political and policy journalism in Washington, New York, and Europe. He not only reported on but also drove the day’s conversations in and around the Beltway. His sharp journalistic experience and coveted insider status make him an ideal choice to discuss the latest political happenings. He offers his non-partisan, energetic and up-to-the-minute insider perspective on the political issues of the day, the Trump administration, the Republican Congress, and building a business in an unsteady economy.

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Michael DykesPresident and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association

Michael Dykes, D.V.M., a long-time government affairs strategist, agricultural policy expert, and veterinarian, became president and CEO of the International Dairy Foods Association in January 2017. In this role, he represents members that make more than 85 percent of the milk, cultured products, cheese, ice cream and frozen desserts produced and marketed in the United States.

Since joining IDFA, Dykes has been a strong advocate for the importance of global competitiveness to the future of the U.S. dairy industry. He has made preserving trade partnerships with Mexico and improving Canadian market access for U.S. dairy exports in all future trade agreements a priority for IDFA.

Prior to assuming his role at IDFA, Dykes served as vice president of government affairs for Monsanto, where he was responsible for developing and implementing a portfolio of U.S. government relations strategies and programs that included agricultural biotechnology policy. He led Monsanto's office in Washington, D.C., and served as the company's primary point of contact for elected officials, regulatory authorities, U.S. farm organizations, key industry participants, trade associations, international organizations and embassies. He directed the company's efforts in state and local government affairs, in addition to government affairs in Mexico and Canada.

Dykes is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association and the National Academy of Practitioners. He has served on the Farmhouse Fraternity board for 3+ years. He is also a member of the Agricultural Policy Advisory Committee (APAC) and has served on the USDA Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21).

Dykes grew up on a small dairy and tobacco farm in Kentucky. He earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Auburn University. He also attended the University of Kentucky where he received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science.

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Ken SchmidtBrand Visionary and Former Director of Communications Strategy for Harley-Davidson Motor Company

One of the most in-demand speakers and communications consultants in America, Ken Schmidt has lived a life that most can only dream about. He has toured the world on two wheels, met with presidents and royalty, partied with movie and music legends, and appeared numerous times on network news. As the former director of communications for Harley-Davidson Motor Company, he played an active role in one of the most celebrated turnarounds in corporate history – and got paid to ride motorcycles. He is widely known as one of the business world’s most outspoken and provocative thought leaders and has partnered with many of the world’s most successful brands. He is the author of the 2018 book Make Some Noise: The Unconventional Road to Dominance. Today, Schmidt is a frequent speaker to business groups and academic communities throughout the world. He shares stories and insights on the road to building a fanatically vocal customer base, creating a passionately loyal corporate culture, and developing leaders who inspire and motivate.

Drawing on decades of experience driving innovation and leading operations at companies including Apple and Microsoft, Mike Steep shares strategies on how to leverage emerging technology into bottom line business opportunities. Throughout his career, Steep has worked in the presence of industry legends including David Packard, Bill Gates, and Satya Nadella, witnessing first-hand some of the greatest breakthroughs and transformations within organizations and entire industries. Currently the Executive Director of Stanford’s Engineering Center for Disruptive Technology and Digital Cities, Steep is a global speaker and contributing editor to Forbes.

Steep is the former SVP of Global Business Operations at PARC, where he worked with CEO’s and R&D executives from companies including BMW, Google, P&G, L’Oreal, and AirBus to transform technology disruption of their industries into new lines of business. Steep believes we are at the beginning of a new golden age—where emerging technologies define who we are, what we can accomplish, and how we can redefine entire companies and industries. Just as Apple transformed the mobile industry through the introduction of the iPhone, emerging technologies will offer exponential opportunities if we know how to capitalize on them.

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Nina TeicholzInvestigative Science Journalist and Author

Nina Teicholz is an investigative science journalist and author. Her international bestseller, The Big Fat Surprise has upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat–especially saturated fat–and challenged the very core of our nutrition policy.

The Big Fat Surprise was named a 2014 *Best Book* by The Economist, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Mother Jones, and Library Journal. Teicholz’s writing has also been published in The BMJ, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, The Independent, The New Yorker, and The Los Angeles Times among others.

In addition, Teicholz is the Executive Director of The Nutrition Coalition, a non-profit group that promotes evidence-based nutrition policy. She has testified before the Canadian Senate and U.S. Department of Agriculture about the need for reform of dietary guidelines.

Teicholz attended Yale and Stanford where she studied biology and majored in American Studies. She has a master’s degree from Oxford University and served as associate director of the Center for Globalization and Sustainable Development at Columbia University.

Dr. Torsten Hemme is the managing director of the IFCN Dairy Research Center in Kiel, Germany. He studied agricultural economics at the University of Göttingen in Germany and Texas A&M University in the USA. His Ph.D. thesis set the basis for the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN), which annually benchmarks milk production costs and summarizes the findings in its"Dairy Report." He has a long list of publications, presentations at international dairy conferences and experiences in various research/consulting projects.

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Robert Johansson, Ph.D.Chief Economist
U.S. Department of Agriculture

Dr. Robert Johansson serves as the Chief Economist at the Department of Agriculture (USDA). He has served in this role since July 2015. As Chief Economist, he is responsible for the Department's agricultural forecasts and projections and for advising the Secretary of Agriculture on economic implications of alternative programs, regulations, and legislative proposals. He is responsible for the Office of the Chief Economist, the World Agricultural Outlook Board, the Office of Risk Assessment and Cost-Benefit analysis, the Climate Change Program Office, the Office of Environmental Markets, the Office of Energy Policy and New Uses, and the Office of Pesticide Management Policy.

Dr. Johansson received B.A. in economics from Northwestern University and then served with the U.S. Peace Corps as an extension agent in several African countries from 1990 to 1995. After returning to his home State of Minnesota, he entered the graduate program in Agricultural Economics at the University of Minnesota at received his M.S. in 1997 and Ph.D. in 2000. His research has spanned a wide range of issues, including biofuels policy, water quality and quantity policies, regulatory economics, food security, and regional modeling of agricultural systems.

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Julie KanakManaging Director
Diversified Search

Julie Kanak is the Managing Partner of the Chicago office and leads the firm’s Food & Agribusiness effort. She brings over 20 years working with public and private companies across the sector and over a decade in retained search.

Julie conducts senior-level assignments in general management, finance, operations and supply chain, business development and other functional specialties across the agribusiness and food value chain. Her clients range from the Fortune 500 to startups with extensive experience with member-owned/ governed associations, private equity and family businesses and within dairy. As a trusted advisor on all aspects of leadership talent, she consults with Boards and CEOs on transformation, succession planning, retention, development and corporate governance – building strong, productive relationships with both clients and candidates.

Prior to joining DS, Julie spent four years with a leading global search firm and boutique global agribusiness firm complimenting over two decades in banking and corporate finance principally focused on agribusiness, food, and energy.

The bulk of Julie’s global corporate and investment banking career was spent with Credit Agricole CIB, as North American Head of Agribusiness, working closely with global leaders of inputs, dairy, grains and consumer packaged goods. Her career also included more than 10 years as a global banker and senior executive with Australia & New Zealand Banking Group, and State Bank of South Australia in New York and Chicago.

Marin Bozic is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at the University of Minnesota. Marin’s research program in dairy economics covers dairy policy, risk management, demand for dairy foods and economics of new dairy food processing technologies. Since earning his PhD at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2011, he has published a dozen research articles, and has served as principal investigator on over twenty funded projects.

Dr. Bozic serves in a leadership role in several organizations. He is an Associate Director of Midwest Dairy Foods Research Center, and the facilitator of Minnesota Dairy Growth Alliance. Marin is also a member of the National Program on Dairy Markets and Policy, a team of dairy economists who recently won a national award for their outreach work on the 2014 Farm Bill.

Marin is a nationally popular speaker on dairy topics, with over one hundred invited talks on topics covering dairy policy, outlook, exports, risk management and consumer trends. Despite living in the Upper Midwest for a full decade, his accent still reveals he is originally from Croatia. His audience does not seem to mind.

Dr. Ostroff was Deputy Commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine at the FDA from May 2016 until November 2018, overseeing FDA’s food and animal health portfolio which includes food safety and nutrition, food labeling, food and color additives, dietary supplements, animal drugs and animal feed and cosmetics activities in the Office of Foods and Veterinary Medicine (OFVM) in the Office of the Commissioner, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN), Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the foods-related programs of the Office of Regulatory Affairs (ORA). His responsibilities include leading the implementation of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act of 2011.

Dr. Ostroff served as FDA’s Acting Commissioner on two occasions, from April 2015 to late February 2016 and January to May of 2017. Before joining FDA in 2013, Dr. Ostroff worked on infectious diseases, including foodborne illness, at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and at the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

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Phil PlourdPresident
Blimling and Associates, Inc.

Phil Plourd is President of Blimling and Associates, Inc. and President of the services division of Dairy.com. He has been involved in dairy market analysis, research, forecasting and risk management activities for 20 years. Phil draws on that experience to lead an expert team of 16 committed to helping clients find better ways to do business. He is a popular speaker who engages audiences on a variety of topics.

Phil resides near Madison, Wisconsin with wife Rhonda and daughters Rebecca and Leah. He is currently President of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Dane County and his family is involved with the Madison Public Library Foundation.

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Beth HughesSenior Director of International Affairs
International Dairy Foods Association

Beth Hughes is responsible for supporting the association's efforts on international trade and import and export issues. She also oversees IDFA's trade committee, as well as programming for the annual International Sweetener Colloquium. In collaboration with other dairy and food industry associations, Hughes has worked with the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative to promote and protect U.S. dairy interests in free trade agreements and held briefings on Capitol Hill about the importance of preserving the use of common food names.

Before joining IDFA, Hughes served for five years as manager of international policy for the USA Rice Federation. She developed and implemented international trade policy and promotion activities to support the U.S. rice industry and help small- and medium-sized U.S. enterprises in overseas export markets. She also analyzed domestic and international rice trends and prepared comments relating to non-tariff and technical barriers, such as sanitary and phytosanitary barriers.

Hughes earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science at George Washington University and received a Master of Arts in international affairs from Florida State University.

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Christina AdamsAssociate Partner
McKinsey & Company

Christina Adams is a leader in McKinsey & Company’s consumer goods practice, with deep experience across commercial optimization, growth strategy, and optimizing portfolio and network complexity. She regularly looks at topics relating to how food and beverage consumer goods companies can adapt and grow in the changing consumer and retail landscape.

Christina started her career at Procter & Gamble working in brand management in Cincinnati, Ohio. Christina earned both her B.A. and M.B.A. from Harvard University. She is a native Oklahoman.

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Beth FordPresident and Chief Executive Officer
Land O’Lakes, Inc.

Beth Ford is the 9th President and Chief Executive Officer at Land O’Lakes, Inc., a role she was named to July 26, 2018. Ford was named President and CEO by Land O’Lakes’ board of directors after a series of successful executive postings within the company since she joined in 2011.

Most recently, as executive vice president and chief operating officer for Land O’Lakes Businesses, Beth was responsible for the Purina Animal Nutrition, U.S. Dairy Foods and WinField United businesses, which reported 2017 net sales totaling $14 billion. Prior to that, Ford was head of Land O’Lakes’ Dairy Foods and Purina Animal Nutrition businesses, and during her tenure she led record performance, leveraging innovation through R&D to strengthen the Purina brand, and leading record growth in the dairy business. She was key in identifying the opportunity to acquire Vermont Creamery in early 2017.

In her 31 years of experience as a global operator, Beth has held senior and line leadership positions in seven companies across six industries, including Energy (Mobil Oil), Consumer Packaged Goods (Pepsi/Pepsi Bottling Group), QSR (Perseco), Publishing (Scholastic and Hachette), Chemicals (International Flavors and Fragrances) and now Food Production and Agribusiness.

A native of Sioux City, Iowa, Beth earned an MBA from Columbia University Business School and a BBA from Iowa State University. She remains involved in both universities, sitting on the Deming Center Board of Advisors for Columbia Business School and the Dean's Advisory Committee for the College of Business at Iowa State. Beth also sits on the Board of Directors for the National Milk Producers Federation and non-profit boards, including Greater Twin Cities United Way in Minneapolis.

Additionally, Beth is Chair of the Board of Directors for Clearwater Paper, Inc., and sits on the board of PACCAR, Inc. both publicly traded companies which have been recognized in the Fortune 1000 and 150 lists, respectively.

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Dr. Barb GlennChief Executive Officer
NASDA

Dr. Barbara Glenn recently joined the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) as CEO on August 18, 2014.

Dr. Glenn is a scientist with decades of experience as a policy researcher and advocate for agriculture. She previously served as Senior Vice President of Science and Regulatory Affairs for CropLife America, where she was responsible for developing policies and regulations to support agriculture through crop protection. Prior to joining CropLife America, Dr. Glenn served as Managing Director of the Animal Biotechnology, Food and Agriculture Section of the Biotechnology Industry Association in Washington, DC.

Dr. Glenn holds a B.S. in animal science and a Ph.D. in ruminant nutrition from the University of Kentucky. She previously worked for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service and the Federation of Animal Science Societies.

Born in Lincoln, Nebraska and raised in Centerville, Ohio, Dr. Glenn developed a passion for agriculture from her parents and her involvement in 4-H. She lives on a small farm in Maryland with her husband and three children, and serves on various boards for farm bureau and 4-H.

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Miriam Erickson BrownPresident & CEO
Anderson Erickson Dairy Company

Miriam is a graduate of Wheaton College, in Wheaton, Illinois. She worked for a small publishing house in the suburbs of Chicago, before joining Anderson Erickson Dairy (AE Dairy) in 1985. Miriam began her career in the marketing department of the company her grandfather founded and assumed a number of leadership roles over the years. In 2006, she was named President and CEO.

Miriam has long history of serving in leadership on dairy industry boards as well. She was selected by the Secretary of Agriculture to join the MilkPEP Board in 1994, where she has since held a variety of leadership positions. Miriam also led IDFA and MIF Boards as Chair. She is a previous officer and current board member of the Innovation Center for US Dairy. She was the 2007 recipient of the IDFA’s Soaring Eagle Award for extraordinary service in the dairy industry.

Miriam is also committed to giving back to her community and has been active on many boards including: Susan G. Komen Iowa and the Greater Des Moines Partnership. In 2006, Miriam was elected Woman of the Year by Des Moines Metro Women’s Network. More recently, she was honored with the Leadership Legacy Award from the Iowa Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners.

Miriam enjoys speaking about the health benefits of milk and lives in Urbandale, Iowa with her husband and 2 golden retrievers.

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Mariano LozanoCEO
Danone North America

Mariano Lozano is President & CEO of Danone North America, a public benefit corporation. Prior to this he served as President and CEO of The Dannon Company. From March 2009 to December 2013, he was General Manager of DANONE Brazil. He started his career in various sales functions at Cerveceria y Malteria Quilmes, a leader of the Argentinean beer market, and was then appointed Sales Director of Pillsbury Argentina. He joined DANONE in March 2000 as General Manager of Logistica La Serenisima, the company in charge of sales and distribution for DANONE and La Serenisima products in Argentina. From 2004 to 2006 he was General Manager of DANONE Slovakia and from January 2006 to May 2009 General Manager of DANONE Clover (Pty) in South Africa. Mariano is an Argentinean citizen and holds an Industrial Engineer Diploma from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. He lives in Connecticut with his wife and children.

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John LuceyDirector & Professor, Center for Dairy Research
University of Wisconsin-Madison

John has a Ph.D in Food Science and over 20 years of research experience. He previously worked in Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. As CDR Director he provides leadership to CDR staff to help CDR move forward and live up to its reputation as a world-class research center focused on applications, outreach and education. He is also a professor in the Food Science department and conducts research on the functionality of dairy foods. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles and 20 book chapters.

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Ludovic MeilhacPartner
McKinsey & Company

Ludovic Meilhac is a procurement and supply management expert partner at McKinsey & Company in the Stamford office. He co-leads the McKinsey Food Institute and is a core member of McKinsey’s Consumer Operations practice. Ludovic has over 25 years of experience in procurement and sourcing globally and helps both companies and national governments develop world sourcing strategies and design manufacturing solutions for milk and dairy ingredients. Among other work, Ludovic has helped shape the 2020 vision for French milk and fruit procurement, design solutions for oversupply of local fluid milk in China, and optimize COGS on dairy and flavor for an ice cream manufacturer.

Prior to McKinsey, Ludovic spent 13 years at Danone sourcing all fluids and dairy ingredients for North America, while also serving as a board member on the Quebec Dairy Council. He also spent 5 years at Coca Cola/Glaceau in manufacturing and sourcing. Ludovic earned his Master’s in Automation from Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines de Paris in France and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania.

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Patricia D. StroupGlobal Vice President and Head of Commodities
Nestlé

Patty Stroup is global vice president and head of commodities at Nestlé. Before joining Nestlé in 2006, she was director of dairy procurement and policy at Hilmar Cheese Company in California and, prior to that, director of communication, education and legislation at Maryland and Virginia Milk Producers in Virginia.

She holds a bachelors degree in communications with a cognate in Dairy Science from Virginia Tech, and an MBA in Food and Agribusiness from Purdue University.

As an advisor to agricultural and food and nutrition companies, Roberto brings on-the-ground experience in the Americas, sub-Saharan Africa, and Western Europe. He partners with executives to address their most pressing strategic and performance issues, including growth, merger management, commercial excellence, supply-chain optimization, and organizational restructuring.

Since joining McKinsey, Roberto has built extensive expertise designing growth strategies and delivering performance improvements across commercial and supply-chain operations. Working with companies across the globe, he has led efforts to assess value-chain vulnerabilities and growth opportunities in the dairy, protein, row-crops, oilseeds, and starch and sweeteners sectors. Roberto also supports complex postmerger situations, defining integration approaches and ramping up value-capture teams.

Examples of his recent client work include the following:

leading a rapid performance-improvement initiative for a grain and food-ingredient company, identifying substantial profit improvement potential across manufacturing, sourcing, logistics, and commercial areas

developing a growth strategy for a global protein company, including performance-improvement initiatives and the M&A agenda

building a growth strategy for global food company, identifying markets for international expansion, setting entry strategies, identifying merger opportunities, and planning a new organizational structure

deploying a global performance-improvement program addressing pricing, sales-force effectiveness, supply chain, manufacturing, and network footprint for a global animal-nutrition company

designing and delivering a multiyear pricing, go-to-market, and supply-chain transformation for a global agricultural inputs company, leading to improvements in market share, margins, and customer satisfaction

Roberto has contributed to several of the World Economic Forum’s major reports on sustainable agriculture. He is fluent in English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

Paul brings over 20 years of consumer package goods marketing and finance experience in a wide range of industries. His experience includes managing brands and leading innovation for well-known brands such as Kraft, Velveeta, Tombstone, DiGiorno, Rust-Oleum, First Alert and Cats Pride. Paul has guided brands with revenue from $100M to over $1B, while launching more than $500M of new product platforms. Prior to joining Dairy Management, Paul served in senior-level positions at companies including Kraft Foods, Jarden Safety, Rust-Oleum, and Oil-Dri Corporation.

Dave earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from Ohio University and his MBA in Labor Relations and Human Resource Management from Ohio State University. He also served in the Air National Guard, where he received the Meritorious Service award and Fire/Rescue Man of the Year award.

He is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management. In the community, Dave is involved with CASA of Brown County, serving as a member of the corporate board and advisory council. Dave and his wife, Chris, live in the Green Bay area in Wisconsin. They have three children. Away from work, Dave enjoys biking, running, skiing (downhill and cross country), golfing, and reading military books and biographies.

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Alexander AntonSecretary General
European Dairy Association

Alexander Anton is the secretary general of the European Dairy Association (EDA), which is recognized as the voice of the dairy processing industry in Brussels. He has been in the post for the past five years and has played a pivotal role in how the organization has changed over his tenure.

Osvaldo Raúl Cappellini joined Mastellone Hnos. S.A. in 1998 and holds the position of Director of Institutional Relations. Previously he was Manager of Institutional Relations in Sancor CUL. He is 1st Vice-President of the COPAL since 2002. He was President of the Milk Industry Center in the period 2002-2008. He obtained the degree of Agricultural Production Engineer at the Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina and holds the postgraduate degree of Master of Science from the University of Sydney, Australia and a Masters in Strategic Management obtained at UADE.

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Marilyn HersheyOwner Operator
Ar-Joy Farms LLC

Chair Women
Dairy Management Inc.

Marilyn Hershey is a dairy farmer, industry leader and published author. Managing finances, assisting with milking and overseeing calf care on her family’s dairy farm, Ar-Joy Farms, LLC, Hershey has an active role in the dairy’s success.

When not on the farm, Hershey is active in the board room; she serves as the vice-chair of Dairy Management, Inc., is the secretary of the Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association Speakers Bureau and serves on the National Dairy Promotion and Research Board among other various community organizations. Hershey also offers her insight on farming, family and faith in her regular column in Hoard’s Dairyman, Common Threads. Here, she provides a positive and empowering message for farm women across North America.

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Corey JacksonSenior Director, Human Resources
HP Hood LLC

Corey Jackson is the Senior Director of Human Resources responsible for human resources and talent acquisition at HP Hood LLC.

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Steve LerchAccount Executive
Google

Steve Lerch has been at Google for 7 years, focusing on digital strategy for a wide variety of clients. He spent 4.5 years at Google's headquarters in California, working with the world's largest consumer electronics companies, like GoPro and Fitbit. He's spent the last 2 years helping to build a new team at Google that works with national trade associations. As part of this role, Steve partners with the preeminent US agriculture groups including the American Egg Board, Avocados From Mexico, Florida Citrus, National Pork Board. More recently, Steve has partnered with dairy organizations across the globe including Milk PEP, the Global Dairy Platform, and just recently lead a session at the World Dairy Summit in Rotterdam.

Beth is the chief marketing and communications officer at DMI where she leads and has strategic oversight for corporate communications, Undeniably Dairy campaign, and the newsroom. Her leadership is driven by a unique culmination of more than 20 years of business strategy, marketing and communications experience with food, health, wellness, retail, and QSR companies. Beth is charged with leading the transformation of the organization’s marketing and communications strategy to engage with consumers and other key stakeholders.

Before joining DMI, Beth was the general manager for Edelman’s Chicago brand team. In this role, Beth worked with a wide range of corporate, food and industry clients on reputation, social responsibility, and sales strategies.

As a mother of three, she demonstrates a strong personal commitment to child health and wellness. She serves on the Lurie Children’s Hospital Foundation Board and the Hospital Marketing Committee.

Adria Gennuso-Fuchs is the Business Development Director for Food Cultures & Enzymes at Chr. Hansen, where she uses consumer and market-based insights to drive marketing strategy. Like you, Adria has a keen interest in key trends driving the marketplace and the future of the dairy industry. With 15 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Adria brings a deep knowledge of market dynamics and consumer attitudes. Adria holds a Bachelors of Science in International Business and Marketing from Marquette University, as well as a Master’s of Business Administration from Marquette University.

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Julia KadisonCEO
MilkPEP

Julia Kadison is Chief Executive Officer of MilkPEP. As CEO, she has introduced new strategic, consumer-focused program direction, and launched powerful new marketing programs. Her passion centers around uniting the industry to drive growth.

Since joining MilkPEP in 2006 as Vice President of Marketing, Kadison has spearheaded several successful marketing campaigns, including development of the industry’s new “Milk Life” campaign, which spotlights milk’s high-quality protein, and the launch of the Great American Milk Drive, which raises awareness of the need for milk donations in the nation’s feeding programs. Kadison also oversaw the industry’s entrance into the sports recovery market with the Built With Chocolate Milk campaign.

Prior tojoining the MilkPEP team as an employee, Ms. Kadison was a consultant at Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC) in New York. During her 12 years at BMC, she rose to the position of Managing Director/COO, and led the non-alcoholic consulting division. At BMC she gained extensive milk category experience, leading a number of projects for MilkPEP, DMI and individual milk and dairy companies.

Ms. Kadison received a Bachelor of Science degree from Emory University and her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree in marketing from New York University’s Stern School of Business.

Barbara O’Brien is President of Dairy Management Inc., (DMI) where she leads and has oversight of the strategic planning and daily operations for the dairy checkoff program. Barb continues to serve as president of the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy, a precompetitive forum that advances collaboration among dairy companies, farmers and others in the dairy community to help guide the industry’s future. As a member of the DMI executive team, Barb instills an aggressive sales mentality, spearheads programs and operating structures for business development, partner management, sales planning and insights. As part of the checkoff business plan evolution, Barb led the translation of farmer priorities into industry-wide category strategies for growth. Her skills are instrumental in engaging the industry on behalf of U.S. dairy farmers, to a common end: to increase trust and sales for dairy among today’s consumers.

Prior to joining DMI, Barbara directed Burson Marsteller's Chicago-based healthcare consultancy and provided executive-level counsel for Fortune 500 consumer packaged goods and pharmaceutical clients including Procter and Gamble, Dow Corning, Quaker Oats, and Abbott Labs, establishing new business strategies for growing clients’ market share. She went on to co-found a healthcare consultancy that served the business and marketing planning needs of Chicago-area hospitals and health systems, and companies in the medical device, pharmaceutical, food and nutrition segments.

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Victor ZaborskyVice President
MilkPEP

Victor Zaborsky has been with MilkPEP since October of 1996. In his role as Vice President of Marketing he leads consumer marketing efforts for the Milk Life campaign. He has extensive experience in strategic planning, communication, multicultural marketing, social media, digital and content marketing. Victor leads national advertising, public relations, shopper marketing as well as the development of strategic partnerships for both general market and Hispanic efforts.

Victor is a graduate from the University of Tulsa and lives in Miami, Florida.

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Seth TeplyVice President of Services
Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada

Seth Teply, Vice President of Services for Tetra Pak U.S. and Canada oversees Tetra Pak’s Services business for both processing and packaging equipment. He and his team work closely with food and beverage manufacturers to ensure food safety, quality, and optimal plant efficiency, leveraging the power of Industry 4.0 to help deliver future-ready operations.

Teply began his career at Tetra Pak in 2001 as an automation and commissioning engineer and has held a variety of engineering, sales and leadership roles at the company.

Teply received a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Valparaiso University.

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Tristan J. Zuber-HrobuchakSales Account Manager
Chr. Hansen

After growing up on a dairy farm in Western New York, Tristan Zuber went on to obtain a Bachelors of Science in Food Science and Animal Science from Cornell University. She began her career in regulatory affairs at the US Dairy Export Council and worked in Dairy Foods Economic Development at Cornell University. Tristan is currently a Sales Account Manager for CHR Hansen, supporting yogurt and cheese manufacturers. CHR Hansen is a global leader in production of cultures, probiotics and enzymes for the dairy foods industry. Tristan also holds a Masters in Science in Food and Agricultural Economics from Purdue University and an MBA from Indiana University.

Mr. Greg Ibach was confirmed by the Senate and sworn in by the Secretary as USDA’s Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs (MRP) on October 30, 2017.

In his role as the Under Secretary, Mr. Ibach carries out the MRP mission area’s broad task of facilitating domestic and international marketing of U.S. agricultural products and ensuring the health and care of animals and plants. The MRP Mission Area is comprised of the Agricultural Marketing Service Agency and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Agency. Following the Secretary’s realignment of a number of USDA offices in September 2017, the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration and several programs from the Farm Service Agency are now housed under the Agricultural Marketing Service Agency.

Before becoming Under Secretary, Mr. Ibach served as Nebraska’s Director of Agriculture since June 2005. He was a visionary leader for Nebraska’s agriculture, effectively supervising Departmental staff and programs with the ability to analyze issues, develop strategies, and create solutions for domestic and global initiatives. Mr. Ibach had oversight of Nebraska’s plant and animal heath regulatory functions. He has been actively involved in foreign and domestic marketing and development activities for the better part of his career.

Mr. Ibach has been inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Agricultural Achievement and honored with the Service to Agriculture Recognition from the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, College of Agriculture Science and Natural Resources. He is also a former President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.

Mr. Ibach earned his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Nebraska with majors in Animal Science and Agricultural Economics. He and his wife, Teresa, have three grown children and live on their farm and ranch in Sumner, Nebraska.

Cary Frye leads the association's regulatory team covering the areas of food safety, food defense, federal standards of identity, labeling, international Codex Alimentarius standards, nutrition policy, environmental and worker safety. With extensive experience in dairy product processing and quality assurance, Frye has served IDFA member companies for almost 20 years, representing member companies on food labeling and standards of identity, ingredient technologies, nutrition and health issues, and product safety.

She is active on domestic and international regulatory issues. As an active participant of the International Dairy Federation, Frye chairs the United States affiliate to IDF and is a member of the IDF Standing Committee on Standards of Identity and Labeling. She has been active in international standard-setting, advising U.S. delegations on Codex standards and has served as the head delegate for IDF at the Codex Committee on Food Labeling. She has also served on the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments’ Executive Board and Liaison Committee, and chairs the Conference’s Program Committee.

Her work has been published in professional journals and textbooks, including "Dairy Processing and Quality Assurance" and "Manufacturing Yogurt and Fermented Milks," published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing and “Beverage Impacts on Health and Nutrition,” published by Humana Press.

Anne Greven is a Rabobank veteran, having spent 15 years at the New York-based corporate bank building and leading key client-facing businesses for the bank. She has also been a mentor to startups participating in FoodBytes!, helping them explain their business models and fine-tune their pitch presentations prior to the events. Ms. Greven drives the strategy for Rabobank's FoodBytes! and TERRA programs in North America, taking a keen look at further integrating Rabobank’s innovation programs with the bank’s overall goals and strategies, developing the best and brightest startups and entrepreneurs in food and agriculture, and bringing innovative ideas to major F&A companies.

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Tom BaileyExecutive Director, Senior Analyst – Dairy
Rabobank

Tom Bailey is Rabobank’s senior dairy analyst and the head of Rabobank’s North American dairy research team.

Tom’s areas of expertise are in the global dairy economics, particularly for the US and New Zealand dairy industries. In his current role his primary focus is on the processing and consumer side of the North American dairy industry.

Prior to joining Rabobank, Tom spent four years with Fonterra based in Auckland, New Zealand. In Fonterra, he was a member of the Optimization management team, functioning as a Commercial Executive. In this role Tom helped to develop and execute the optimization strategy and decision making processes to drive product mix, allocation, and pricing decisions. He also spent time in Fonterra’s Commodity Risk & Trading team where he worked as a Global Insight Advisor and Price Forecast Analyst.

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Vivek PaiGlobal M&A Coordinator Dairy
Rabobank

Vivek Pai is theGlobal M&A Coordinator Dairy for Rabobank

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Thomas WojnoSenior Vice President of Innovation and Member Advancement
International Dairy Foods Association

Thomas Wojno is responsible for identifying and implementing innovative strategies to enhance IDFA services, expand its diverse membership and develop new opportunities for growth.

Prior to joining IDFA, Wojno served as vice president of member value and strategy for the National Restaurant Association. During his tenure, NRA’s membership grew by 300 percent in three years and increased the association’s member retention rate from 83 percent to 94 percent.

Wojno also served as vice president of resource development for America’s Promise, an alliance organization built by General Colin Powell to support better outcomes in education, and as director of corporate relations with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Wojno began his career in business development at Bloomberg LP.

Wojno received a bachelor’s degree in business and organizational communication from Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut. Wojno was the recipient of the 2016 Association Innovators awards, given by DC Live to those leaders driving growth and change in their respective associations and industries.

John Allan directs all aspects of IDFA's food safety training initiatives, leads efforts related to product safety issues and has responsibilities in federal and state regulatory affairs. He engages on behalf of IDFA members with 3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc., and the National Conference on Interstate Milk Shipments (NCIMS). Allan also helps represent IDFA’s international trade interests through his seat on the U.S. Department of Agriculture/U.S. Trade Representative Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee (ATAC) for Trade of Processed Foods, as well as through engagement with the International Dairy Federation and the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex).

Prior to joining IDFA, Allan was the director of regulatory and international affairs for the National Yogurt Association, the American Frozen Food Institute (AFFI) and AFFI’s affiliated associations: the National Frozen Pizza Institute, Frozen Potato Products Institute and the Frozen Food Foundation.

Allan also has regulatory and technical affairs experience in the infant formula industry and has worked for the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization helping develop Codex international food standards. He graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in microbiology and a Master of Science in food science and technology.

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J. David CarlinSenior Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Economic Policy
International Dairy Foods Association

J. David Carlin leads the association's legislative, political and economic policy activities. He was a partner with the law firm of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP until joining IDFA and has extensive experience in food and agriculture policy. Carlin has represented numerous food and agricultural companies, cooperatives and trade associations before the House and Senate Agriculture Committees and at the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

After graduating from Harvard Law School, Carlin joined Akin Gump in 1988. In 1995, President Bill Clinton appointed him to serve as Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations under Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman at USDA. As head of the Office of Congressional and Intergovernmental Relations, Carlin served as the primary USDA liaison with Congress and the White House Office of Legislative Affairs. He returned to Akin Gump in 1998 to focus his practice on public law and policy matters. His interest in agricultural and public policy began on the family dairy farm founded by his grandfather in 1940.

Moran directs the association's financial and accounting activities, as well as those related to human resources, information technology, administration and the biennial trade show.

Prior to joining IDFA, Moran served as chief financial officer for the National Capital Revitalization Corporation and for the RLA Revitalization Corporation, where he provided financial guidance relating to valuation, pricing and modeling of the corporations’ real estate development projects. Before that, Moran served as vice president of finance and CFO for Black's Guide, Inc., a commercial real estate information service, where he guided the company through the acquisition phase, as well as its subsequent sale. As CFO and director of finance and administration for the National Center on Education and the Economy, Moran was responsible for all financial and administrative functions.

Moran also served as the CFO for the Drug Policy Foundation, vice president of finance and administration for Sky Courier Network, and as vice president of finance for the Aeromaritime Group. After graduating from Georgetown University, he began his career in the Washington, D.C., office of PricewaterhouseCoopers.

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Heather SoubraChief of Staff
International Dairy Foods Association

Soubra serves as a strategist, consultant and director of the association’s initiatives based on the priorities of the president and CEO, Michael Dykes, D.V.M. Soubra manages day-to-day operation of the executive office facilitating collaboration and inclusiveness across the organization to accomplish strategic goals. Soubra serves as the executive office liaison with IDFA members and members of the IDFA governance structure. She also handles IDFA program development and execution, including the annual Dairy Forum, the summer internship program, and managed the successful implementation of IDFA’s new governance structure.

A graduate of George Mason University, Soubra earned her degree in intercultural communication. She also is a graduate of The Protocol School of Washington where she earned certification in corporate etiquette and international protocol. She is fluent in Arabic.

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Mary LedmanGlobal Strategist - Dairy
Rabobank - Chicago

Mary is a thought leader who has extensive knowledge of domestic and international dairy markets and policy. She has over thirty years of experience in production agriculture, food processing, government service, agricultural policy, dairy risk management, market information and dissemination, and milk and dairy product price forecasting.

Mary grew up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin and has worked on farms in Germany and Japan. She received a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Economics from Texas A&M University and studied at the University of Goettingen, Germany. Mary’s work experience includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Kraft Foods, Stella Foods, Keough Ledman Associates, and the Daily Dairy Report.

Mary joined Rabobank in January 2018 as their Global Dairy Strategist and directs a team of ten analysts around the globe. With a global exposure of $25bn spread across five continents, dairy is one of the most important sectors at Rabobank, the world’s leading Food and Agriculture bank.

IDFA’s Dairy Forum is the premier event for dairy food executives to connect with other industry leaders, advance their knowledge, and to discover new perspectives on issues that are important to our industry.

This year’s Dairy Forum program will encompass topics that move Dairy Forward and position our industry for growth. In 2018, IDFA presented attendees with a glimpse at things to come—Shape the Future. In 2019, the association seeks to lay out the path for success in the dairy foods industry for both companies and executives—Dairy Forward.

Leading experts and industry leaders will share their insights and perspectives on a wide variety of challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.

What does the new farm bill mean for dairy policy? What can the industry do to expand into global markets? What is blockchain and what does it mean for dairy? How are we preparing for the future workforce? What’s ahead for trade policy and what can we do to prepare? What can we do to embrace an evolving retail landscape, embrace innovation, leverage consumer trends and future-proof our operations?

Presentations by leading industry executives

Discussions on key IDFA policy priorities

Technologies that are both disruptive and transformative

A look at the global dairy marketplace

And more!

Please join us for an important conversation on what we can do to move Dairy Forward!

Mark your calendars and make your plans to join us January 20-23 in Orlando, Florida.

Chairman's Lecture – Getting Ahead of Disruptive TechnologiesLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
By capitalizing on emerging technologies, companies can discover new paths to innovation, as well as substantial savings and efficiency – provided you get there ahead of the curve. Mike Steep will draw on decades of experience driving innovation and leading operations at companies such as Apple and Microsoft to help you get ahead of disruption. He’ll share strategies for leveraging technology to drive bottom-line results and reveal the process dairy companies can use to find these opportunities.

Host:Michael Dykes, D.V.M.
President and CEO
International Dairy Foods Association

President’s Breakfast – Leading Dairy ForwardLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
Could a successful future for dairy really hinge on the relationships we forge and the collaborative efforts we undertake on joint causes and concerns? The answer for Michael Dykes is a resounding “Yes.” One strong example: The industry’s collaboration on the farm bill proved to be just what Congress needed to see for dairy to gain what it wanted. IDFA and others are working collaboratively and constructively with the administration and agencies to move the needle in the right direction on school milk, trade, standards of identity and labeling, food safety and more important issues for dairy. In this session, Dykes will outline the industry’s many successes and explore new ways we can work together to lead dairy forward.

Speaker:Michael Dykes, D.V.M.
President and CEO
International Dairy Foods Association

9:45 – 10:15 a.m.

General Session – Dairy Policy: Advancing TogetherLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
The Trump Administration has demonstrated a willingness to work with the dairy industry, listening to our concerns and considering our requests with respect. We applaud the recent efforts of Agriculture Secretary Perdue and U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Greg Ibach on behalf of dairy and millions of Americans in need. In this session, we look forward to hearing how the industry can continue to advance dairy policy by working closely with Secretary Perdue and his team.

Speaker:Greg Ibach
Under Secretary
Marketing and Regulatory Programs
U.S. Department of Agriculture

10:15 – 10:45 a.m.

General Session – Food Safety Going Forward: Focus on Technology and TransparencyLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
The food safety landscape is changing rapidly due to influences from new technology, and consumers are demanding and expecting more transparency and information about the way their food is produced. The Food and Drug Administration is increasingly incorporating new technologies and transparency to continue to assure consumers of the safety of their food choices. Everyone in the food industry will benefit from hearing from the outgoing deputy commissioner of food and veterinary medicine, Stephen Ostroff, M.D., as he shares a broad perspective on the future of food safety and what to expect from FDA in 2019 and beyond.

Illuminating Consumption Changes in the U.S. Yogurt Market Location: Tuscany Ballroom D
After three years of declining retail sales trends, many yogurt manufacturers and key suppliers to the dairy industry are wondering, “Why is yogurt consumption decreasing and can we expect sales to turn around?”. In order to illuminate the consumer behavior behind this market shift, Chr. Hansen conducted 1,000 intensive 20-minute interviews with consumers across the United States. This session will focus on the key findings from this initiative, highlighting the changing attitudes towards yogurt and adjacent categories like non-dairy yogurt, dairy beverages, and other fermented and probiotic beverages.

Global Dairy Perspective: Growing GloballyLocation: Tuscany Ballroom E
Recent news reports have focused on trade wars and retaliatory tariffs, but they don’t capture the full picture of the international landscape and its opportunities, especially for dairy. We’ve invited leaders from the European Union and New Zealand to discuss dairy production, policies, threats and trends around the world that are affecting global growth and our options for the future.

Lunch Session – Upending the Politics of NutritionLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
Before launching a nine-year investigation into nutrition and the science of fat, Nina Teicholz was a reporter for National Public Radio and a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and Washington Post, among others. Her international bestseller, “The Big Fat Surprise,” has upended the conventional wisdom on dietary fat – especially saturated fat – and challenged the core of our nation’s nutrition policy. Teicholz will discuss how dairy companies can use emerging science on nutrition to advance existing brands and guide innovation efforts.

General Session – Women Leading ForwardLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
The sea of faces at Dairy Forum tells the story of how few women currently hold top leadership positions in the dairy industry. But the tide is slowly turning, according to a panel of distinguished women leaders who will share their unique stories and ideas for encouraging more women to follow in their footsteps. We’ll learn about the challenges they faced, the drive and determination they have, and the mentors and opportunities that helped to shape their careers and their many contributions to the dairy industry.

Patricia D. Stroup
Global Vice President and Head of Commodities
Nestlé

2:30 – 2:45 p.m.

Networking Break

2:45 – 3:30 p.m.

How Entrepreneurs are Helping Shape the Future of DairyLocation: Tuscany Ballroom D
Rabobank’s Global Co-Head of F&A Innovation, Anne Greven will showcase how startups are working to solve challenges throughout the dairy sector value chain. From real-time mastitis detection technology and yeast-fermented prebiotic sugars, to triple cream yogurt and “craft cheese” made from plants, we’ll explore the roles these innovations might play in the future of dairy. Each company will present its pitch followed by a panel discussion led by Vivek Pai, Rabobank’s Global Merger & Acquisition Coordinator for the Dairy sector.

Breakfast Session – Dairy Markets: Where Are We Headed?Location: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
IDFA has assembled a panel of economic experts with the right blend of experience and expertise to provide crucial market information and insight into the future. They will discuss what executives need to know to manage today’s complex dairy supply chain and meet consumer demands while containing costs and improving operational performance.

Host:J. David Carlin
Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Economic Policy
International Dairy Foods Association

The Future Dairy WorkforceLocation: Tuscany Ballroom D
Many dairy farms and companies are struggling to attract dedicated workers and talented professionals to rural areas that are home to most of the industry’s operations. How can you compete with other dairy operations and companies in other industries? Our panelists will share how they tackled hiring challenges and developed facilities and cultures that are attracting top talent. They’ll also explore the changing skill sets and levels of expertise that will be required in the future dairy workforce.

Host:Thomas Wojno
Senior Vice President of Innovation and Member Advancement
International Dairy Foods Association

Think Outside the JugLocation: Tuscany Ballroom E
With fluid milk consumption continuing to decline and more nondairy challengers gaining ground with consumers, the dairy industry clearly needs to think outside the jug when it comes to developing new products and serving markets. Using all the nutritional and health benefits that milk and dairy provide, some companies are discovering new ways to provide those benefits in nontraditional products. Our panelists will explore fresh and novel uses for milk components that are unlocking the greater potential of dairy. They’ll also spark our collective creativity for finding the next big developments.

Innovation and the Marketing EvolutionLocation: Tuscany Ballroom D
The digital world has changed our lives, and this session will help you and your company leverage the power of digital marketing and consumer insights. Steve Lerch, an executive at Google, will reveal the top trends his company is watching across categories like food, health and shopping. He will discuss how changing consumer trends are changing our views and relationship with dairy, and how dairy brands can stay ahead of the curve with their communication.

Path Toward 2030: The Globalization of DairyLocation: Tuscany Ballroom E
The dairy industry is in a continued globalization process and affected by various trends and drivers. Torsten Hemme will explain how globally milk production, prices, trade and demand has developed over the past 20 years. Moreover he will share research results on how the dairy world might look in the year 2030.

Host:J. David Carlin
Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs and Economic Policy
International Dairy Foods Association

Lunch Session – Open the Throttle and Dominate Your MarketplaceLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
Ken Schmidt is a brand visionary who built a fanatically loyal customer base during his tenure at Harley Davidson. He understands what motivates customers and their purchasing decisions and will share how he developed a campaign that garnered great results. He will also demonstrate how each segment of the dairy industry can harness the most basic drivers of human behavior to generate consumer demand and build loyalty.

Host:Thomas Wojno
Senior Vice President of Innovation and Member Advancement
International Dairy Foods Association

Speaker:Ken Schmidt
Brand Visionary and Former Director of Communications Strategy
Harley-Davidson Motor Company

Sponsored By:

1:30 – 2:15 p.m.

General Session – C-Suite Talks From the TopLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
Taking a page from the popularity of TED talks, Dairy Forum will feature dairy company CEOs who will give concise and colorful talks about leading in today’s uncertain and challenging market. Beth Ford, President and CEO of Land O’Lakes, and Mariano Lozano, CEO of Danone North America, will share their company’s pledge to consumers and farmers and explain how they are meeting market demands, building brands and finding ways to deliver profits.

Host:Thomas Wojno
Senior Vice President of Innovation and Member Advancement
International Dairy Foods Association

Speakers:Beth Ford
President and Chief Executive Officer
Land O'Lakes, Inc.

Mariano Lozano
CEO
Danone North America

2:15 – 2:30 p.m.

Networking Break

2:30 – 4:30 p.m.

McKinsey CEO Roundtable (invitation only)Location: Plaza Ballroom I

2:30 – 3:15 p.m.

Delivering for Dairy with the Power of Industry 4.0Location: Tuscany Ballroom D
It’s impossible to ignore the increasingly loud buzz around Industry 4.0, described as the ‘next decisive leap in Industrial history.’ In this session, we will demystify the jargon and explore how the dairy industry can move forward in the connected world. Via a series of concrete examples, we will show new ways your business can embrace Industry 4.0 principles to drive productivity, food safety and flexibility.

Coordination, Collaboration and Co-creation – A Unified Voice to Propel the Industry Forward Location: Tuscany Ballroom D
Michael Dykes is right when he says the future for dairy really does hinge on the relationships and the collaborative efforts we undertake. Join us for a conversation with the CEOs of MilkPEP and the Innovation Center for US Dairy as they discuss some of the ways that the dairy community is coming together like never before. From sustainability and hunger initiatives to shore up consumer trust to the launch of a brand-new cross-category marketing campaign co-created to make milk and dairy more salient in the minds and hearts of today’s consumers. You won’t want to miss this sneak peek at the new Share What’s Real campaign.

Breakfast Session – Voters Have Spoken: What Did Washington Hear?Location: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
Mike Allen is one of Washington’s most influential and well-connected journalists. He is entrenched in today’s political issues, including the upcoming midterm elections and whether Republicans will maintain their majority status in Congress. At Dairy Forum, he will offer a non-partisan insider’s perspective on the election results and the impact they’ll likely have on Congress, companies and the 2020 presidential election.

Closing Session – Resilience and Growth: Perspectives from McKinsey & CompanyLocation: The Ritz-Carlton Ballroom
In a world where consumer preferences change rapidly, where volatility impacts margins along the value chain, where new trade barriers are erected, how can U.S. dairy meet future challenges and be positioned for growth over the next decades?

Q: Registration substitutions
Registration is non-transferable from one company to another; however, substitutions within companies are welcome at any time. Please email registrar@idfa.org if you would like to make a registration substitution.

Q: Registration Cancellation Policy
Registration cancellations received in writing will be accepted prior to December 21, 2018 for a full refund, minus a $75 processing fee. Cancellations received after December 21, 2018, will be eligible for a 50 percent refund, less the processing fee. Your Dairy Forum registration fee is non-refundable after January 4, 2019. Substitutions may be made without penalty. All cancellations and substitutions must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.

Q: Golf Tournament Cancellation Policy
All golf tournament cancellations will receive a full refund before December 21, 2018. No tournament refunds will be issued after December 21, 2018. All cancellations must be received in writing at registrar@idfa.org.

Q: Attire
Attire is business casual although we encourage attendees to dress comfortable for evening receptions which may be held outdoors. The average temperatures in Orlando, Florida in January are 72°F high and 52°F low.

Q: Affiliate Events
Affiliate events are defined as non-IDFA sponsored events that take place before, during or after Dairy Forum. These include, but are not limited to, business meetings, receptions, dinners, group activities, and other social functions. If you are interested in reserving space at the conference hotel for an affiliate meeting or event, please contact mlembke@idfa.org. Space is limited and requests will be considered on a first-come, first served basis.

Questions: If you have questions or need assistance with the registration process, please contact IDFA at (202) 220-3557 or registrar@idfa.org.

Hotel

Dairy Forum will be held at The Ritz-Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Florida. You may make your hotel reservations online or directly with the hotel by calling (800) 266-9432. When calling, refer to IDFA’s Dairy Forum to receive the special room rate of $279 per night plus applicable taxes. The deadline to secure a room is January 3, 2019. We have reserved a large block of rooms, but once all the rooms have been booked, we cannot guarantee that additional space will be available.

Hotel Discounts
A ten percent discount will be extended on all sport and recreational options on-site, to include: The Ritz-Carlton Spa treatments, The Ritz-Carlton Golf Course, Fly Fishing, Eco Tours, Canoeing and Kayaking, Grande Lakes Guide Tours and Walks, Mountain Biking and The Ritz Kids program. Discounts will be offered to registered hotel guests with Dairy Forum name badges, based on availability.

Both golf tournaments will be held on Sunday, January 20th.

8:00 a.m.

Morning Golf Tournament
shotgun start (shamble)

1:00 p.m.

Afternoon Golf Tournament
shotgun start (scramble)

What is the difference between scramble and shamble golf tournaments?
In a scramble, each golfer in the foursome (or threesome) takes a shot from the tee. From that point, the team decides who has the best drive, and all players advance forward to that spot to take their second shots. This process continues, with the best shot being taken each time, until a member of the team is able to hole out. The team’s score for that particular hole is recorded as the number of team “strokes” it took to get the ball in the cup.

A shamble is slightly different in that only the best drive (or tee shot) is used for each team member’s second shot. From that point, normal stroke play ensues as each player plays his or her own ball, and each golfer is responsible for holing out in the fewest number of shots. Thus, a scramble continuously uses the best shot from the group, while a shamble uses only the best drive.

Why Sponsor
As we focus on advancing the dairy industry, make a stronger connection with your customers and prospects by delivering your company’s message directly to conference attendees. As a sponsor you will be able to:

CONNECT WITH INDUSTRY DECISION MAKERS. Dairy Forum is the premier conference for leaders in the dairy industry. With nearly 1,000 executives and decision makers, Dairy Forum is the place to be heard and seen.

The Premier Conference Partner receives the most visibility and more benefits than any other Dairy Forum sponsorship. Our Conference Partners also enjoy exclusive opportunities for strategic business connections and access to industry leadership.

PREMIER SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Two complimentary registrations to attend Dairy Forum

Opportunity for company representative to introduce a session

Company brand exposure leading up to, during and post-event through IDFA’s marketing channels

Two invitations to the private Chairman’s VIP Reception

Option to host a session on Monday or Tuesday afternoon

Private meeting room at the conference hotel

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide promotional materials to attendees

CHAIRMAN’S LECTURE – $27,500

Get maximum bang for your buck by sponsoring the best-attended session at Dairy Forum. The Chairman’s Lecture is Dairy Forum’s popular kickoff event and always features a highly respected and well-known guest speaker. Past speakers have included former U.S. Trade Representative Ambassador Ron Kirk, former congressman Charlie Stenholm (D-Texas), former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, General Michael Hayden, PepsiCo’s Mehmood Khan, lobbyist and former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, and Karen Hughes, former Counselor to President George W. Bush.

CHAIRMAN’S LECTURE SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Two invitations to the private Chairman’s VIP Reception

Two prime seats at the Chairman’s Lecture

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide promotional materials to session attendees

OPENING RECEPTION (EXCLUSIVE) – $27,500

Make a great and lasting impression on everyone by being one of the first sponsors to welcome attendees to Dairy Forum at the Opening Reception. Be a key part of generating the excitement and enthusiasm as industry colleagues and friends reconvene and reconnect. The energy is palpable as attendees mingle with old friends and begin to make new contacts, all in anticipation of the fun and work that lies ahead.

OPENING RECEPTION (EXCLUSIVE SPONSORSHIP) BENEFITS INCLUDE:

One complimentary registration to attend Dairy Forum

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

OPENING RECEPTION (SHARED) – $16,000

Share the spotlight at the Opening Reception with another sponsor and get the same exposure for almost half the price!

OPENING RECEPTION (SHARED SPONSORSHIP) BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Company names and logos placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

LUNCH SESSION – $25,000

Gain maximum exposure by sponsoring a Luncheon at Dairy Forum. Always well attended, the meal functions feature guest speakers and are a great opportunity to gain added visibility among dairy executives enjoying conversations with industry colleagues.

LUNCH SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

One complimentary registration to attend Dairy Forum

Two prime seats at Luncheon

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide promotional materials to Luncheon attendees

REGISTRATION LOUNGE – $17,500

The Registration Lounge is in a strategic location that guarantees your company name will be one of the first things every attendee sees as they arrive at Dairy Forum. The prominent placement of the lounge also ensures that attendees will spend time there throughout the conference, having impromptu business meetings and gathering for social interaction and networking. If you’re looking for visibility, the Registration Lounge is a good choice for your sponsorship dollars.

REGISTRATION LOUNGE SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

A lounge in the registration area with company branding

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

BREAKFAST SESSION – $10,000

Start the morning off right with a Breakfast sponsorship at Dairy Forum. Breakfast sessions feature guest speakers and are a great opportunity to get your message out to industry leaders before they start their day of education and networking.

The end of a conference, when attendees are happy about reconnecting with peers and feeling good about new business prospects, is the perfect time to add one last good impression. Sponsoring the Closing Reception gives your company a featured presence at Dairy Forum. Your logo becomes one of the final images attendees will remember as they look back on a productive conference. The wisdom of the ages invented the phrase “save the best for last” for a reason!

CLOSING RECEPTION SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

GENERAL SESSION – $10,000

Sponsorship of a general session at Dairy Forum allows you to deliver your company’s message directly to conference attendees from the stage. With this high-visibility sponsorship opportunity, take full advantage of personal message on the main stage, along with other great benefits.

GENERAL SESSION SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Opportunity for company representative to introduce the session

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide promotional materials to session attendees

WI-FI – $10,000

Wi-Fi is every conference attendee’s connection to the outside world, which means they’ll be accessing Wi-Fi frequently throughout the event. Why not be there to greet them when they do? Your logo and a link to your company website will appear on the page every time they log onto the hotel’s Wi-Fi system. Connection made.

WI-FI SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Company logo and website will appear on Wi-Fi connection page

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contact

HOTEL KEY CARDS – $9,000

All attendees at Dairy Forum who stay at the conference hotel will see your company’s logo printed prominently on their hotel room key cards. Your name will be the first thing they see as they head out in the morning and the last thing they see as they turn in for the night.

HOTEL KEY CARD SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Company logo on every hotel key card, distributed to guests upon check-in

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

CONFERENCE MOBILE APP – $9,000

The Dairy Forum App offers unique, detailed content through an easily downloadable application to attendees’ personal mobile devices. The app provides a great opportunity to highlight your brand before, during and after the conference. Attendees will be accessing the app often to see conference
schedules, the current attendee list, session information and speaker bios, and to receive event notifications and social media updates. The app also enhances attendee networking and allows private conversations. This sponsor is featured prominently as users navigate the app.

CONFERENCE MOBILE APP SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Banner ad on the bottom of every page in the app that can be linked to a customized landing page or website

Pre-event email featuring the app to all Dairy Forum registrants

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

CONFERENCE NOTEPADS – $9,000

One of the most well-used and highly appreciated handouts at any conference is a simple notepad. Always handy for jotting down new ideas, critical follow-up reminders and contact information for new customers, the notepad is a basic tool of the conference trade. When your company logo and phone number or website are printed on the cover of those notepads, people will “take note.”

CONFERENCE NOTEPAD SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Notepads distributed at registration to all Dairy Forum attendees

Company name and logo printed on notepads

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

SALON DINNER – $8,000

Our salon dinners are a special evening of good food and great conversation with high-level executives and top thought leaders. IDFA will host salon dinners throughout Dairy Forum to meet and preview our top speakers in an intimate and exclusive setting. Salon dinners are by invitation only.

SALON DINNER SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Three invitations to the salon dinner

Live recognition at the salon dinner

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide promotional materials to dinner attendees

REGISTRATION LANYARDS – $7,000

Every attendee at Dairy Forum is required to display a name badge to enter sessions and conference events. Those name badges hang from lanyards that can be emblazoned with a company logo right alongside the IDFA logo. Imagine the visual impact of 1,000 of your industry colleagues sporting your company name throughout the entire conference.

REGISTRATION LANYARD SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Company logo printed on registration lanyard (co-branded with IDFA)

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

CHAIRMAN’S VIP RECEPTION – $6,000

The Chairman’s VIP Reception, hosted immediately prior to the Chairman’s Lecture, includes special, invited guests, making it an unequalled opportunity to network with some of the most influential decision makers of the dairy industry.

CHAIRMAN’S VIP RECEPTION SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Two invitations to the private Chairman’s VIP Reception

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

COFFEE BREAK – $6,000

Treat Dairy Forum attendees to a coffee break to jump-start the day and rejuvenate them between sessions. There’s nothing quite like a complimentary beverage to make people take note of your generosity and spark an interest in your company.

COFFEE BREAK SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference material and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide product donation

GOLF TOURNAMENT – $6,000

Golf tournaments are extremely popular among corporate executives, and dairy professionals are no exception. So popular in fact, that we’re hosting two of them on the same day! Participation in Dairy Forum golf tournaments is always high as golfers use this time in the sun to relax and do some informal business. This golf package will give your organization some great exposure to thirsty golfers and golfers looking to win big.

GOLF TOURNAMENT SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Sponsorship of a golf tournament beverage cart

Sponsorship of the longest drive or closest-to-the-pin contest

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide golf balls, towels, tees or other items to players

ONSITE PRINTED PROGRAM – $6,000

The on-site printed program is distributed to every attendee at Dairy Forum. The printed program is a primary reference tool for everyone at the conference. Want to know where the next session is happening, or the background of a speaker or presenter? The printed program has the answers. Having your company name and logo front and center virtually guarantees that every attendee will think of your company many times throughout the course of the event.

ON-SITE PRINTED PROGRAM SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Sponsor logo on front page of the on-site program

One full-page ad in the on-site program

Company name and logo placed on event signage

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Live recognition throughout Dairy Forum

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

WOMEN IN DAIRY SESSION & RECEPTION – $5,000

Sponsor this high-powered session and reception which will leverage the expertise and influence of women who have emerged as leaders in the dairy industry. The event will bring established leaders and young professionals together to expand the presence and influence of women in dairy.

WOMEN IN DAIRY SESSION & RECEPTION BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Opportunity for company representative to introduce the session

Recognition in conference materials and on conference website

Listing in IDFA’s email newsletter to over 15,000 industry contacts

Option to provide promotional materials to session attendees

NAME BADGES – $3,000

Every attendee at Dairy Forum is required to display a name badge to enter sessions and conference events. Those name badges hang can be emblazoned with a company logo. Imagine the visual impact of 1,000 of your industry colleagues sporting your company name throughout the entire conference.

Planning to hold a meeting during Dairy Forum or need a private space to conduct business? Expand your capacity for dedicated face-to-face discussions by reserving a private meeting room for your company to use at the conference hotel. Space is limited! Day and room size are subject to availability.

MEETING ROOM SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE:

Use of a private meeting room in the conference hotel: Full conference (Sunday 9 a.m. – Wednesday 12 p.m.) or Single Day

Companies are responsible for organizing audio visual and food and beverage requests directly with the hotel.